Did you know gin palaces led to the way pubs look today?

Far from its humble beginnings in the bawdy back streets of London, gin has become the tipple of the discerning drinker. Our relationship with this most English of drinks goes back as far as the 17thcentury and much as the drink itself has evolved, so have the places associated with it. Such was the popularity of gin, we even built palaces to drink it in. Find out where to celebrate the drink in all its juniper-scented glory on World Gin Day this Saturday – 13th June.

How gin palaces began

– In 1751 new legislation was passed which raised the duty on gin and encouraged ‘respectable’ gin selling by requiring licensees to trade from premises rented for at least £10 a year. This sent gin shops into decline and encouraged an underground market.

– In an attempt to stimulate trade, duty was cut back in 1825, and then five years later the Sale of Beer Act removed all taxes on beer, and permitted anyone to open a beer shop on payment of a two-guinea fee.

– By 1838 45,000 beer shops had appeared and to compete, spirit retailers came up with the idea of ‘gin palaces’ to attract a new breed of customer with a disposable income.

Dawn of the bar as we know it today

– The first gin palaces were built in the late 1820s – Thompson & Fearon’s in Holborn, and Weller’s in Old Street were designed to look more like the shops that were appearing in the fashionable districts. Gas-lit and fitted out in lavish style, the gin palace aimed to attract the crowds and to serve them as efficiently as possible

– The “vulgar” appearance of these gin palaces caused outrage in polite society, but also had an immediate impact on the planning and design of the pubs we know today.

– A key feature of the gin shop was the counter; it enabled swift service, separated the customer from the server and provided a surface for pouring drinks. The new gin palaces kept the counter and it eventually became the bar we see in almost every pub in the country. It was ideal for attaching beer pumps, saving on trips to the cellar.

– The new luxurious gin palaces were hugely popular and by the 1850s there were some 5,000 in London. For the poor the gin palace offered a fantastical chance to escape from the grimness of slum dwelling. In Sketches by Boz, Charles Dickens described gin palaces as “perfectly dazzling when contrasted with the darkness and dirt we have just left.”

– See the transformation of the Archway Tavern, London, from tavern to gin palace in 1886 in the image gallery below.

Where to Drink in Authentic Surroundings

Although none of the original gin palaces survive, their design inspired later Victorian pubs, even after gin had fallen from favour. The ornate mirrors, mouldings, etched glass and gilding inspired the late 19th century style, the heyday of urban pub building.

Previously known as the George and Dragon, The Baker’s Vault was built around 1775 and rebuilt in the gin palace style in 1861. It reopened in July 2014 after a seven month closure and it is hoped that the revitalised pub will bring much needed regeneration to the market area of Stockport.

Magnificently elaborate, the entrances have ornate wrought-iron screens and elaborately tiled lobbies and mosaic. The large room at the front was at one time a concert room. Sip your G&T in the large billiard room beneath the vine painted glass roof.

When the Tottenham was built it was located a few doors down from the Oxford Street Music Hall and there is something of the palace of varieties about its interior. One of the best-preserved pubs in London.

A barrel vaulted skylight will greet you at the entrance, leading you to a bar with much of the original design. The previous building on the site was renamed the “Punch Tavern” in the late 1840s because of its association with Punch Magazine which had its offices at that end of Fleet Street.

About The Author

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about gin through my writing, my brand building and my gin tastings.